“Preschoolers are just developing their sense of humour,” says Christine Almiron, a public library outreach program coordinator. “They like books like Bye Bye Big Bad Bully Bug and Bark, George. They understand slapstick humour, but not jokes.”
Almiron cautioned that preschoolers can’t tell the difference yet between reality and fantasy, so books with dark humour of the Roald Dahl type should wait until they’re older. Almiron, who runs library storytimes, recommends choosing a preschool book like Snip Snap! What’s That? and Bye-Bye Big Bad Bully Bug! instead. “If we read a slightly scary story, it is because the ending is meant to empower children,” she says.
Recommended Reading: Preschool Books for Boys
“One wonderful thing about this group is that they won't insist that they read a Dora book or a princess story or a dinosaur story,” says Almiron. She added that this holds true for both boys and girls. Almiron says boys ages 3 to 5 tend to prefer picture books about the following: monsters, cars, trucks, airplanes, frogs, dinosaurs and especially trains. “By the time they hit age 5,” she notes, “they generally prefer books with a male protagonist.”
Recommended Reading: Preschool Books for Girls
“Girls don't care if the protagonist is male or female at any age,” says Almiron. “They generally like princesses, fairies, ladybugs, and ballet dancers. If you put a princess book and a caterpillar book in front of the average little girl, she'll likely pick the princess book. However, if you put frogs, monkeys, rainbows, robots, cow, and ABC books in front of her without the princess option, she'll forget about princesses (temporarily) and choose one of those.”
Best Preschool Books for Girls and Boys
- Snip Snap!: What's That? by Mara Bergman
- Bye-Bye, Big Bad Bully Bug! by Ed Emberley
- Be Gentle With the Dog, Dear! By Matthew J. Baek
- Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- Marvin Wanted More by Joseph Theobald
- What! Cried Granny: An Almost Bedtime Story by Kate Lum
- It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw
- Who Hops? by Katie Davis
- A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza
Preschool Reading Tips
“I've used all the books listed successfully in my storytimes,” says Almiron, noting that the preschool boy or girl will have their own ideas as well. “If your child loves a particular book, try getting more by the same author,” says Almiron. “There's nothing wrong with reading all of Richard Scarrey or Eric Carle's books. If you speak another language, know that there are books written in both languages, like ‘?Quien Salta?=Who Hops?’ for instance.”
Almiron also recommends that parents engage their boy or girl when reading a preschool book to them. "Marvin Wanted More is about a sheep who won't stop eating, but when I read the story I point out objects for kids to name: flowers, a car, a ladybug,” said Almiron. “Books like Who Hops and It Looked Like Spilt Milk are guessing stories that really get kids involved and excited!”
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